Saturday, May 28, 2011

So I got a call the other day for a lady who was broke down at a gas station seems she stopped to fill up the tank before running some errands and the car wouldn't start back up. So I arrive and find the lady and her two sons waiting.. As I'm loading up the car the younger boy about 9 or 10 starts freaking out that he is going to miss the big end of the year party for his sports team and he is crying and just keeps going on and on. About 5 min after I pull up a taxi cab pulls in. I think that the lady has called a cab to take them home or whatever, nope the 9 year old jumps in the back and off they go.. She had called a cab to take him to his party...Oh man the things we do for our kids

Thursday, May 5, 2011

It is possible that you will never lock your keys in your car or run out of gas, you may never even need a jump start. However the chances of that in this day and age are very slim. Things happen, even new cars can break down and when it does you will more than likely use your roadside assistance plan. The first time you break down can be a scary thing especially if you are on the side of the road so I have put together a few tips that will make entire process go as smoothly as possible.

Starting with the phone call -
1. give location information- if your in a shopping center give them the name.
2. if your by the side of the interstate look for mile markers or other road signs near you.
3. if your tire has fallen off let them know. The more detail a drive has the better equipped he will be

After the call -
1. Don't screen you phone calls if it rings answer it, this could be the driver trying to locate you.
2. If your in a big parking lot put your hood up or stand out near your car so the driver can see you
3. Stay with your car, don't wander off, we may arrive early and you need to be there with the keys
4. An ETA is just that. We know you don't want to wait, but traffic is what it is and if the drive is not there in 60 min on the dot don't freak out
5. Do un to others- This should be a given we know your upset about your car troubles, but try to be courteous to the driver he is there to help you.

* Bonus Info
Most repair facilities close between 6 and 7 in the evening and a large portion of them have gates making it near impossible to drop your car off after hours. If you realize at 4:45pm that your car won't start and it's siting in your driveway, the best thing to do is wait until the morning to call. Your car is safer in your driveway than sitting outside a locked gate at a dealership.

Friday, April 8, 2011

These days there are a lot of choices when it comes to roadside assistance. Almost all cell phone companies offer a plan as well as most insurance companies. There are also plans that you can purchase on your own. I can't tell you which one is the best, but I can offer you a bit of advice when it comes to selecting a plan.

1. Know your coverage area. If you have a 20 mile commute each day you want to know your covered if you break down closer to work than home. The right plan will include enough coverage that you don't have to pay out of pocket for the tow. If your coverage area is lets say 10 miles you could be looking at another 35.00 - 50.00 out of pocket expense depending on what time it is and who hauls your vehicle.

2. Know your included services. While almost all plans will cover you if you need a tow, they may not offer fuel delivery, tire changes or jump starts. Find out if you have this service and if not if there is a fee you can pay to add them.

3. Know your restrictions. Lets say your best friends cousins neighbor is a mechanic and they promise to give you a great price on your car repairs, great right. You may need to find out if you are able to tow your vehicle to any shop you choose or do they only tow to specific shops on there prefered vendor lists.

It never hurts to ask questions, don't assume its a covered service, because you may find out to late that it's not.

Monday, April 4, 2011

So this past Sunday morning I headed over to the caffeine & octane car show that happens the first Sunday each month. It used to be held in the East Cobb area, but right now it's held in the Mansell Crossing shopping center close to North Point Mall. If you have not checked out this event before its defiantly worth it. There is such a diverse mix of cars that there is something for everyone.

I was headed back home when a call came in that one of the cars at the show was in some kind of accident. So I fired up the truck and headed down to see what I could do. As you can see their is quit a bit of damage to the car. It took a couple of hours to get it loaded up, the guy didn't have the tow hook that I needed to get it onto the bed of my truck so it was a waiting game. In the end the driver was okay, no tickets were given out and the poor lambo was loaded up and transported home.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Since I didn't have a funny story to share today I thought I would just let everyone know that if you have an unwanted car sitting in your yard, I would like to buy it from you. Driving around all day I see a lot of broke down vehicles cluttering up peoples yards and really doing no one any good. So if your tired of being that person the entire neighborhood complains about give me a call and I'll come haul it away:

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

I've been driving a tow truck since 1999, maybe even a little before but it became my business in 99. Then in 2001 we moved to Alpharetta and I've lived here with my family every since. Each day I tell my wife crazy stories of things I see while I'm in the truck, crazy stories that the passengers share with me and some crazy things I see. She suggested I start a blog to share some of it with all of you. I'll never reveal a customers name or the kind of vehicle they were actually driving so if you think the stories about you, it's probably not.

My other passion is fixing up cars so I'll also be sharing tips about car maintenance, towing tips, cool cars I see at show and well anything else I feel like sharing at the time. I will occasionally run specials on my towing services or list a car I might have for sale.

If you have a crazy driving story feel free to send it in to me and if I use it you could win a MA Towing T-shirt. send your story to matowing@gmail.com